Hengchun 恆春 in Pingtung, Southern Taiwan

Close to Kenting and Taiwan’s southernmost town, Hengchun 恆春 in Pingtung is a historic settlement known for its preserved city walls and gates and as a key filming location for the smash hit Taiwan movie, Cape No. 7 – oh yes, and the odd capybara or four.

We took the bus to Hengchun from Kenting and spent half a day exploring the town, famous old wall and historic gates – it is the only ‘castle’ / walled town in Taiwan where the old main gates are still standing.

They were originally constructed during the Qing Dynasty in 1879 but have been rebuilt on several occasions due to earthquakes, weather and war.

Here is our short guide to the best things to do in Hengchun (Pingtung), near Kenting in Taiwan.

hotel lighthouse hengchun — *Hotel 恆春洋蔥風格旅居 onion in*

You might like – Things to do in Kenting, Taiwan >

Taiwan checklist

We love using agoda.com (use the code TAIWANDERERS for a discount), expedia.com and booking.com for researching and booking all our hotels.

For booking tours, transfers and buying SIM cards/eSIMs we recommend Klook, Get Your Guide, Viator or KK Day.

For booking rental cars visit Discover Cars. For private drivers and taxis, check out our Transfer guide >

For more recommendations, check out our Taiwan travel booking resources page >

All set for Taiwan? Do one final check with our Taipei first timers guide and our packing list guide. Travelling with kids? Check out our Taipei For Kids eBook >

Table of Contents

How to get to Hengchun, Pingtung

The best way to get to Hengchun 恆春 in southern Taiwan is by bus, car, taxi or moped.

There is no train access to Hengchun – the nearest HSR station is Zuoying HSR, which is next door to Xinzuoying TRA station (famous for its station cats and their play area which commuters can visit).

To get to Hengchun from Kaohsiung, the bus takes around 1 hour 50 minutes which then terminates at Kenting; read our step by Kaohsiung to Kenting bus guide >

From Kenting to Hengchun, the bus takes around 20 minutes – take buses 9188, 9189, 8248 or the 101 / 101B Kenting Orange Shuttle Line and pay using an EasyCard.

You might like our guide to using an EasyCard (plus the 40+ coolest EasyCard & iCash card designs).

Join our Facebook Taiwan Travel Tips (TTT) Group!
Need help with your Taiwan itinerary or have any questions? Head on over to the most fun and fastest growing Taiwan Facebook group with 180,000+ members and ask the experts!
Click here to join our group >

Or if you just want to see more of our Taiwan photos, follow our Taiwan Facebook page or our Taiwan Instagram account

Hengchun Public Market

Hengchun is home to one of the most manic markets with mopeds we’ve ever visited (Hengchun Public Market). As Hengchun is the biggest township in Southern Taiwan, this is where a lot of people come to shop and bus in from the local surrounding villages.

We visited Hengchun Public Market early one weekday morning and it was in full swing – lots of locals were pulling up in mopeds to buy fresh food and grains. It was so busy that we opted to get some Taiwanese breakfast pancake rolls at a restaurant in one of the side-streets.

The market is very photogenic with lots of fresh fruit and veg stalls plus traditional Taiwanese snacks. Just try not to get run over!

You might like – 40+ things to do in Kaohsiung including Pier 2 Arts Center

Cape No.7 Post Office

Ah Jia’s Home (Cape No. 7) 海角七號阿嘉的家

One of the highest grossing movies of all time in Taiwan, Cape No. 7’s main character Aga lives in the post office in the movie which is now a popular attraction.

The building has retained several props from the Cape No.7 film including a postbox outside – such was the initial interest in Hengchun after the movie, fans of the film swarmed to the town and nearby Kenting to visit key filming locations.

Ah Jia’s fictitious home can be found on Google Maps here >

The building now has a gift shop with Cape No.7 memorabilia. You can visit the upstairs area (where Ah Jia lived in the movie) for a small fee.

*Restaurant next door to Cape No.7 Post Office*

Try this – Hengchun West Coast tour with KK Day (depart from Hengchun) >

Hengchun City Wall and Historic Gates

Known as southern Taiwan’s walled town, there are several sections of the fortified walls in Hengchun (including the West Gate section) that you are allowed to go up.

The longest walkable section is over 1km in length. Sadly the original West Gate was torn down in 1914 during the Japanese colonial era.

Henchung ‘ancient’ town was built in the late Qing Dynasty in 1875 and the walls all around the town are around 6 meters thick.

There are four Henchung gate towers, the best preserved of which is the south gate (the only one still with a tower on top), called ‘Ming-tu’ Gate.

In December 2006, a strong earthquake shook Hengchun and much of the old town wall and its gates collapsed or were damaged; restoration work was quickly undertaken and finished in 2010.

You might like – Our first timers guide to Taiwan including how to fill in the Taiwan Online Arrival Card

Paradise of Capybara 墾丁鹿ㄦ島水豚生態園區

Taiwan is capybara crazy – from the newly crowned Capybara Rock near Keelung to Taipei’s Capybara Knight cafe, there are lots of Taiwan capybara things to do and Kenting is no different.

We visited Paradise of Capybara 墾丁鹿ㄦ島水豚生態園區 and got up close to feed the capybaras. As well as a themed souvenir stamp trail, there is the opportunity to swim with capybaras (although we didn’t).

Admission is NT$200 and that includes the stamp-trail and grass to feed the animals – here is our full guide to Pingtung’s Paradise of Capybara near Kenting >

Try this – Kenting activities and tours with Viator including snorkelling >

Kenting

Although Hengchun is worth a visit if you have a few days in southern Taiwan, it is also well known as the gateway to Kenting.

Kenting 墾丁in Taiwan is known for its colourful coastline, sandy beaches, excellent surfing and Kenting National Forest, not to mention its night-life scene and summer festivals.

Be sure to check the gloriously golden sands of Kenting main beach (alas no swimming is allowed) and night time street eats at Kenting Night Market – it sprawls over 1km along both sides of the main road and through Kenting township.

Part night market, part party place, there are almost as many pop-up bars and alcohol stalls as there are food vendors – loud speakers boom out loud music as bartenders try to entice you over with exotic sounding cocktails and shot combinations.

The food at Kenting Night Market is all fairly standard Taiwanese fare like xiaolongbao, stinky tofu, grilled meats and sliced fruit – there are even some fun looking international food-stalls like a British fish and chips stand.

Check out our guide for more things to do in Kenting >

Taiwanderers Email Newsletter!
For travel tips and fun news, make sure you subscribe to our Taiwanderers Taiwan Travel Tips email newsletter! Click here to sign up (you can unsubscribe at any time)

Hengchun tours and activities

Hopefully we’ve given you a good insight of how to get to Hengchun and a nice half day Hengchun itinerary. However if you are short on time or would just rather visit with a local expert, check out these Hengchun tours:

Hengchun west coast tour with KK Day (depart from Hengchun) >

Hengchun snorkeling and underwater photography one-on-one with instructor >

Hengchun SUP paddling and snorkeling (with professional photography) >